Feds unveil $350M fund to help charities, non-profits get through pandemic

The feds are bringing in a $350 million fund for charities and non-profits, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday (April 21).

The Emergency Community Support Fund will be split; part will go directly to smaller frontline organizations, while the rest will go to national organizations like the United Way.

The money can be used to train volunteers, improve home delivery programs and help seniors and people with disabilities.

Trudeau says charities and non-profits are doing tremendous work to meet tremendous demand for their services amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Estimates from Imagine Canada, a charity that promotes the work other charities do, suggest donations will decline between $4.2 billion and $6.3 billion, and that between 117,000 and 195,000 workers could be laid off depending on the length of the COVID-19 crisis.

The federal pledge falls short of the $10 billion that charities had been asking for as a stabilization fund, but many are expected to access a wage subsidy program to help hire back laid-off staff.

As of Tuesday, Canada has recorded 37,374 confirmed cases and 1,728 deaths due to COVID-19.